chickenstrip

Are any of you living in NYC? Or have you fairly recently emigrated? I'm planning to move there come August and I'm wondering what the independent cycle shop scene is like there. I have this feeling that it's mostly dealers running shops (I got this impression when talking to a salesman at a Ducati shop in lower Manhattan.). I'm also wondering if there are any rider forums there. A quick search didn't return much.

I grew up back east, but have been living in CA for the last twenty years. I have a feeling that the ease of getting my bike worked on, and the fair labor rates here, will be hard to come by in NYC. It would be great to get a sense of what to expect from someone living there.

RK1

I haven't lived in NYC in many years. You poor bastard. Look at it this way. It could be (a little) worse. You could be moving to Newark or Philadelphia.

SlowHAWK

I'm in Mount Vernon.... northern boarder of NYC.... it's pretty spotty shop wise, there are bunch of local/custom places, and the bigger dealers seem to be hit and miss. Don't waste your time with Honda Bob in Mamaroneck... complete jerks.

Basically with the rates most charge on things, I've learned to just do everything myself to avoid dealing with them at all costs... last time I needed a set of tires, most wanted to mark the price of the tires up close to double, then charge for mounting and balancing... or course, many wouldn't mount or balance tires unless you bought from them, I finally found a Custom Bike shop to do it for 45 a tire... rip off.

As for sites.... you can look up Cycle Forums... theres a NYC section with a bunch of memebrs there that can probably give you more info on shops and stuff in the boroughs.

J.

nnjhawk02

http://www.tristatesportbikes.com

As far as local shop - I'll ask my friend - he goes to a local guy.

Where in NYC will U be living?

nnjhawk02

OK

See my boys jump when I tell em - both recommend this place.

power cycles
95 street bet 1 and 2
call willie 917-492-1573

ive been going to these guys for years they are top blokes

chickenstrip

Yeah, that's what gets me about the East Coast, the shops charge list for tires and I was charged hourly for mounting and balancing tires, so it came out to something like $450 for a set of tires. That blew me away. Out here in the Bay Area, I can tires for $115, and either get 'em mounted/balanced free (if the same shop), or for $15, wheels off the bike. It puts a damper on riding. I road across the country in 2004, and every shop I went to looked at me like I was an alien when they saw the SHawk, a bike they apparently rarely see.

chickenstrip

At this point I'm just in the search stage and it won't get serious until August. At that point I'll be in SoHo until my girl and I can find something, probably in Brooklyn. We're in the arts, so we'll be looking for a live/work space where ever we can find something affordable and of decent size. It ain't gonna be easy.

chickenstrip

Thanks for that link, I'm checking it out.

nnjhawk02

Check out Queens as well - Williamsburg area

U probably can use CL as a good searching point.

chickenstrip

Yep, been checking out CL occasionally, and you're right about the Williamsburg area, though it's become so trendy that it's expensive and hard to find spaces. Lemme know if you catch word of a great space.

nnjhawk02

U know where else is up & coming is LIC - Hunters Point Section

http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=40....om=16&q1=10028

chickenstrip

Thanks for the tip, nnjhawk02. We know some people living there, and checking it out on CL, it looks like there might still be affordable spaces there.